Park Ridge Police join Click It or Ticket Campaign to Help Save Lives

The 2013 Click It or Ticket campaign kicks off May 10 in Illinois. The purpose of the campaign is to help save lives by cracking down on those who do not buckle up through the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

The Park Ridge Police Departmentis joining the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), the Illinois State Police (ISP) and over 500 local law enforcement agencies across the state to save more lives by strongly enforcing seat belt laws.

Provisional numbers show that during the 2012 Memorial Day weekend there were six fatalities and almost 600 injuries on Illinois roadways. Three of those fatalities were alcohol-related. Remember – wearing your seat belt is your best defense against an impaired driver.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 52 percent of the 21,253 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2011 were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash. As noted, deaths involving seat belt nonuse are more prevalent at night than during the daytime. According to NHTSA, 62 percent of the 10,135 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2011 during the overnight hours of 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m. were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash.

In 2011, seat belts saved an estimated 11,949 lives nationwide according to NHTSA. While this year’s Click It or Ticket enforcement campaign runs from May 10 through May 27, officers are out enforcing seat belt laws year-round. Buckle up and encourage your loved ones to do the same. You will save the cost of a ticket and may save a life.